Kukla's Korner Hockey

In what would be a David and Goliath contest, Bauer Performance Sports Ltd. says it plans to be a contender when the multi-million dollar license for the National Hockey League jerseys comes up in 2016.

The NHL license is currently held by Reebok, a company roughly six times Bauer’s size in terms of annual revenues and part of the global athletic giant Adidas.

“We have every intention of bidding,” Bauer president and chief executive officer Kevin Davis said after the company’s annual general meeting Tuesday at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

If successful, it would be a huge coup that would give the leading hockey brand more sales and marketing muscle, a sports apparel industry analyst said.

The NHL jersey business is worth an estimated $200 million a year, including fitting the players themselves and their fans with replicas.